Stay Awake
by coramatix
Summary: A past is what makes a person, so what made Brennan who she is today? What makes her now defy her own beliefs and logic? And how will everyone else react? More importantly how will Booth react?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I just came up with and I do hope you enjoy it.**

"Okay Bones you must have had a favorite movie when you were a kid?" Booth said.

"I preferred books, they are much more insightful and they are better learning tools." Brennan replied.

"Before you became science geek of the year you had to enjoy some movie, tell Boothie what it is."

"No Booth, this is childish."

"Please, it's no big deal just tell me."

"You will laugh at me."

"No I won't, please will you just tell me."

"Okay fine. As a child I thoroughly enjoyed _Mary Poppins_, and at times I catch myself humming _A Spoonful of Sugar_. Are you happy now?"

"Yes, thank you. That wasn't so bad was it; _Mary Poppins_ is a great movie. And to be honest with you I will watch it if it is on TV."

When the duo arrived at the lab they were greeted by Camille Saroyan or more lovingly known as Cam. The look on her face gave them cause to be less than jubilant.

"Booth, Dr. Brennan we have a new case." She began. "The FBI requested our help with this new serial killer."

"The Foster Kid Killer." Booth mumbled.

"Who?" Brennan replied.

"They named the new serial killer The Foster Kid Killer, because the victims have all been teenagers in foster care."

"And we have the body of the last victim, found two days ago in a storm drain. It's a 16 year old boy named Grant Erving, died of strangulation." Cam said.

"So why does the FBI need our help?" Brennan said.

"They think he or she has already abducted their next victim and they were hoping we will find something they missed to help save her."

Temperance sat in her office reading of the FBI's case files, after each one she began to wish more and more that the case had been brought to the Jeffersonian in the first place. The FBI's work on the case was half assed at best, the reports were disorganized and hard to follow, leaving Brennan disgruntled and pissed off. She used to be a foster child it was a hell hole for her, even without the abuse, she could not even fathom what these victims had gone through, the pain of being alone in the world then kidnapped, tortured and eventually killed, what did these kids do to deserve this?

She continued to read and sip her tea. Some days though she would never admit it, her job sucked. And today was one of those days.

"Hey Bones, I'm going to talk to Grant Erving's foster parents, do you want to tag along?" Booth asked.

"Of course." She replied.

The car ride seemed exceedingly long; neither of them had said a word since they left the lab. Seeley decided to engage a conversation.

"Hey you know Bones I understand if this case is going to be hard on you." He stated.

"Why would it be hard on me Booth?" Brennan questioned.

"Because you know you were a foster kid once and you might see some things that remind you of that."

"It's silly to think that just because I was in foster care that I will have any feelings or attachments to the victims what so ever."

"No it's not Bones, it can get you and you know what I'm here for you, whatever you need."

"Thank you but I will be fine I always am."

They pulled up to the house; it was a white, two-level with a wraparound porch. Booth knocked on the door and a tall, thin, Asian woman answered. She showed the pair into the living room, where her husband was waiting.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jefferies we would like to ask you a few questions." Booth began.

"We already told the FBI all we know." The husband interrupted.

"Yes well for investigation purposes we have to ask you those questions again." He paused for a moment. "How long was Grant in your care?"

"About six or seven months."

"Was there any difficulties?"

"Of course with any child there is, they have to adapt to a new environment and a new set of rules. It's trying both on the child and their care taker." The wife said.

"What kind of troubles did you have with Grant?" Brennan asked.

"He was hard headed, at first he refused to listen to me and Jacob but he learned that we were trying to help him, and he adapted after a few months."

"If there are so many difficulties with these children why do you continue to be foster parents?" Booth inquired.

"We find it rewarding, to know that we can give these children a stable and loving home for a period of time. Some foster parents are cold and mean and we want to show these children that there are good people in this world." The husband replied.

"When was the last time you saw Grant?"

"I saw him off to school the day he went missing, I offered him a ride but like usual he turned it down, if I only tried harder he would be alive." Mrs. Jeffries said, obviously racked with guilt.

"There is nothing you could have done." Temperance said. "Did he have any problems with other students or teachers at school?"

"No he was a good kid; he got good grades and played basketball and lacrosse. Like I said he was a good kid." Mr. Jeffries said.

"That will be all thank you for your time." Booth said before leaving the house.

When they were outside of the house Booth's phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Cam just sent me the details about the new victim, her name is Lili Kendall, and she is fifteen years old born on May 17, 1995. Here is her picture." He said handing the phone to Brennan.

Brennan stared at the picture taking in the girls facial features, her mind went numb. She felt as if her heart was about to beat out of her chest. They had placed a face on their kidnap victim, who was the same age that Brennan had been when she entered foster care. How someone willing could hurt such a beautiful young girl.

"We are going to talk to the parents." He stated.

"Booth I'd rather go back to the lab, I think I will be of more use there."

"Sure Bones." He knew that this case was going to be hard for her.

She once again found herself at her desk. Trying to process everything, things were not supposed to work out this way. Wasn't a child put in foster care for a chance at a better life, not to have it all taken away from them? A young mother would willingly put her newborn daughter in foster care after someone promises that the baby will find a good home but fifteen years later that baby girl is alone in the world and is kidnapped without a loving soul to notice. Brennan started at the picture of the girl who was lovingly named Lili for hours. Short bobbed brunette hair, big blue eyes, beautifully sculpted pink cheeks, perfectly crafted nose, and a set of small rosy lips, just as amazing as the first and the last day she saw her.

"Dr. Brennan I'm sorry to interrupt but we have a live video feed." Hodgins said.

"A live video feed of what?"

"Someone sent us a link to a website; it shows the latest kidnap victim."

He did not have to say anymore, Brennan bolted out of her chair and rushed to the forensic platform to find Booth, Cam, Angela, and her intern Wendell standing watching the dark screen.

Her heart broke, theoretically speaking of course. She had never felt that kind of emotional pain before. She saw that girl bloodied and hurt on the dirty floor; it brought tears to her eyes. Booth took notice of this unusual occurrence. Brennan scurried off. And of course Booth rushed after her.

Booth found her in her office, crumpled on the couch.

"Hey Bones are you okay?" He asked sitting down next to her.

"Yeah I'm fine." She lied.

"No you are not. This case is getting to isn't it?"

"Yes it is."

"You do have an emotional bond with the victims."

"Somewhat."

"You went through the foster system and feel the pain of being displaced like these kids."

"Booth you don't get it."

"No Bones I get it, you feel their pain."

"No you don't, that girl, Lili, she is…"

"She is the same age you were when you entered foster care."

"Yes but that is not what you don't get."

"Then tell me what don't I get?"

"Booth she is my daughter."

"Whoa, wait what?"

**TBC….**

**Please tell me what you think and if I should continue.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the reviews, I will try my best to do best by the characters of the show and to incorporate the story line in with their personalities.**

"Wait, what? What are you talking about Bones?" He asked, obviously flabbergasted.

"That girl is my daughter, Lili Kendall is my daughter." Brennan replied.

Booth could not believe what he was hearing, has hyper rational Dr. Temperance Brennan telling him she had a daughter? "Tempe you are under a lot of pressure and this case is really difficult for you, it is okay if you are confused."

"I am not confused she is my daughter."

"You never had a daughter Bones."

"Yes I did, and obviously I still have one out there."

"Bones I need you to explain this to me, make it come from your emotions and don't be all logical."

Brennan took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "Okay, just give me a minute."

"Sure."

"Okay, I got pregnant a month before my eighteenth birthday, I was accepted to North Western early. I sort of knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to keep it, but I loved it so much. Then I found out it was a girl and I um..." She froze as wave of tears and heavy sobs racked her body. Booth wrapped his arms around her trying to comfort her. "I started to think about what life would be like with a baby girl and it seemed all ideal but those were all dreams. I had no money to take care of both of us. So even though I had a terrible experience on foster care, I knew that infants are more likely to be adopted, and then lady I talked to assured that she would be adopted by a good family." She took a second to wipe some tears away. "I got to hold her for a little while after she was born, you know to say good bye. A nurse walked in, she must have heard me talking to her because she said that she thought Lili Christine was a beautiful name. I heard that a nurse names a baby that is in foster care, but I did not know it was true."

"Well it looks like she has a gift from you Bones."

"Speaking of gifts I gave her something. I gave her this small locket with a picture of me in it from my eighteenth birthday, I always wanted to be close to her heart. And I have this one." Brennan pulled out a small square locket with an ultrasound picture on the inside of it. "She has changed so much."

"Everybody changes but that doesn't mean she is not your little girl anymore."

"Booth she is big now, she probably doesn't even have that locket."

"You didn't look that close at that picture did you?"

"I stared at it for hours."

"Here look you see, there is the locket." He paused for a second. "I think she knows that you are her mother."

"Why do you say that?"

"I took a peek in her room, she has your books, every single one. Each one looked well read but the back cover was preserved perfectly."

"That only shows that she enjoys books, Booth there is no solid facts."

"How about she won her science fair by matching pictures of people in their teenage year to pictures of them in their early thirties?"

"That doesn't mean she did it for me."

"Bones listen to me, in my heart I know she knows who you are and that she loves you."

"Booth, I can't..."

"Forget rationale, think with your heart."

"What did her foster parents say she was like?"

"She is really smart, love science, she is just like you Bones."

"I do not want her to be just like me, I want her to have wider horizons."

"I thought you might say that come here." He went over to Brennan's computer and pulled up a video.

"Booth what are you doing?"

"Just sit down and watch."

Temperance sat down and braced herself for the worse, but she found the best. Lili was on the screen clad in an outfit inspired by 1912 London, she was Mary Poppins in the flesh. She was on stage singing Stay Awaketo two young children, Jane and Michael Banks. Her daughter's large voice sent chills down her spine, she never heard anything like it.

"Now she is defiantly better than Cyndi Lauper." She smiled.

"Indubitably. I think she got her voice from you."

"No she didn't that voice is stronger and has higher octaves then mine."

"Heart Bones, not your head."

She looked up into his eyes, there was a flicker of hope that he saw. "You really want to find her don't you Booth?" She asked.

"I want to find her for you Bones, she deserves the love you can give her. You have so much love you don't even know about and when you hold her in your arms again all of that love will bubble to the surface and present its self."

"Thank you."

"That's what partners are for."

"No that is what best friends are for."

"Since when I am your best friend?"

"Since I realized I don't know what I would do without you here helping me and making me feel okay."

They were soon interrupted by Cam, who seemed to have a sense of urgency.

"Booth you need to see this." She said, they returned back to the forensic platform with Brennan following close behind. There was not just Lili alone on the screen, there was a second person whose face was not seen. They could see the person talking to the girl who just shook her head. The presume kidnapper proceeded to kick Lili in the stomach and a few times in the chest. Temperance felt bile rising in her throat and she ran to the nearest trash can. She once she stopped vomiting she found Seeley holding her hair back and ready to hold her steady. Her body began to rack with sobs again. Even though Booth was a man of great strength he found it hard to hold on to his partner who was shaking violently and obviously ridden with emotion.

For Brennan who usually thought based only on science and fact she found everything hard to comprehend, she did not know what to say or do, she did not know how to function. She found it hard to keep her eyes open, so she just let them shut.

"I am going to take her back to her office." Booth said carrying Brennan away, leaving the rest of the team utterly confused.

"What is going on?" Angela asked.

"I have no idea but I don't have a good feeling about it." Cam replied.

Wendell pulled up the picture of Lili Kendall again, he looked closely at the photo. It didn't take a trained eye to see the resemblance, it was hard to believe that nobody noticed it before.

"When you look at Lili who do you see?" Wendell asked. It took everyone a moment.

"Oh. My. God!" Angela gasped.

**TBC...**

Once again please tell me what you think. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you once again for the supportive reviews. I am super sorry it took me so long to update, I have been in London, England with a few of my friends before they go back for their last year at college.**

  
"What is it Angela?" Jack Hodgins asked.

"Wendell pull up a picture of Brennan and do a side by side with the victim." Angela demanded and Wendell did exactly what his former lover told him to do.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?" Cam asked.

"Look at Lili's eyes and then at Brennan's, Lili's cheek bones and Brennan's, Lili's mouth and Brennan's."

"Oh my god is right Angela; she is like a miniature ."

At that point Dr. Lance Sweets took note of Special Agent Booth's presence. He looked at him with great intent, he wanted to know something, and he knew Booth was hiding something, something big.

"Is Dr. Brennan okay?" Sweets started off.

"Yeah this case is just getting to her." Booth replied.

"Is there anything else going on?"

"No."

"You are lying to me."

"You need to shut up; it is none of your business!" Booth snapped. "I don't want Bones seeing any of the live video feed unless I am around; actually I don't want her to see it period. If you want her to see something you run the clip by me first. Is that understood?" Everybody nodded.

"Booth, it's her daughter isn't it?" Angela asked.

"Why would you ask something like that?" He didn't want to lie to Angela.

"There is numerous facial traits that both Brennan and Lili share. And you can lie to me but Booth I know, she doesn't have to tell me neither do you but I know. She is my best friend." Angela could see the look in his eyes change, but she still knew he would do anything to protect Brennan so she knew he was not going to say anything.

"I'm going to make sure she is okay." He said as he retreated back to Brennan's office.

Seeley looked upon her sleeping form, it was everything but peaceful. Her body was tensed, her hand were balled in fists, and she was not peaceful like people should be in their sleep. At this point he did not know what to feel. Concern? Of course. Supportive? As much as he possibly could. Love? He has always loved her; just because she has a daughter does not mean it was going to change.

How could he ever begin to comprehend what she was going through? Sure he had a child of his own but that was different, he got to tell his child how much he loved him, but Temperance does not have that luxury. Booth knew Brennan was hyper rational but giving up her child was obviously hard on her. He wondered how different she would be if she had decided to keep her, would she be more compassionate, or would she be more secure. The what if's will make you crazy. Everyone sees Brennan as a tough, kick-ass, independent woman, but Booth knew the truth. She is fragile and breakable, she needs a shoulder to lean on at times, she needs to be loved and nurtured. In many ways she is like a child and those can sometimes be painfully evident.

Booth watched as a few tears slipped from her eye and roll down her cheek as she slept. They were the tears of an angel, tears made out of diamonds that fall from crystalline blue eyes. He hated having her being put in this situation, but it was not the perpetrators method of operating to kidnap female victims, all of the previous victims were males. What was different when it came to Lili? Did the kidnapper know who her birth mother was and they wanted ransom? Sure they would have asked for it by now. But why all of the sudden were they streaming the torture of the victim live? How could someone be so sick and twisted? After years in the Ranger and in the FBI he should be used to stuff like this, but he is never prepared for a case involving kids, and one with this much personal intensity, it was difficult to say the very least.

His gaze shifted to Brennan's desk. For once it was a cluttered mess; he was so used to seeing it super neat and clean. She was organized to a fault, that is one 0of the many things he always noticed about her. He inched towards her desk; he could see various objects, all of which seemed to all be tied together. Booth took the seat behind her desk, it was weird sitting there, and he felt like he was in her place but not in her state of mind. His vision shifted to an old sonogram, it was dated January 4, 1995. It was one of the very few pictures that Brennan probably had of her daughter, which must have been hard; Booth could barely go a day without seeing Parker's face and knowing what he looked like at that point in time. The next picture he picked up was of a heavily pregnant Temperance. He had not expected to something like this for quite a while. Back then her features were softer, probably from weight gain, but also there was a look in her eyes, like she was overjoyed but also extremely sad at the same time because she knew what she was going to have to do.

Booth now understood why she used to be so reluctant towards having children. And he understood why she felt like she had to give her up. But he did not know how she could have kept it a secret for so long from everybody, he did not understand why she would not trust him with this. He could tell she felt ashamed knowing that she made choice that she did, but truth was there was nothing to be ashamed of, she wanted a better life for her daughter and she wanted someone to have her who could take care of her, but sometimes things just do not go the way you had planned them.

Looking back at her sleeping form he was wondering what she was dreaming, he could tell it was painful. He just wished he could take all of her pain away.

**TBC...**

**Tell me what you think of this chapter, sorry if it is too short.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the review, I was hoping more people would read this because I put a lot of work into it, but if only a few people read it and enjoy it then I will gladly write more for you.**

_Pain, that is all she could feel. Pain came in waves, each one taking their time to run over her body. She had never felt any physical pain like this, nor had she ever felt such emotional pain. It was literally going to be the hardest day of her life, she could tell. There was always hope for a new day, hope for the future, but it was hard to think there was going to be anything after that day._

"_How are you feeling?" The man asked._

"_I am in a lot of pain." She replied._

"_Well you will have a baby soon." _

_If only she was going to get to keep her baby and watch her grow up, but she knew what she was going to do, she was going to provide a better life for her child. She felt overwhelmed; she wanted her child to know that she loved her, that she loved her more than anything the universe could offer her. _

"_Okay Temperance on the count of three I am going to need you to push." _

_Temperance could feel the sweat trickling down her forehead and onto her neck and chest. It was not like the movies, but she did not expect it to be, that would be idiotic. But still she wished there was someone there to hold her hand and talk her through it. She wish she knew who here baby's father was, she wish she could keep her daughter and raise her and show her the love that she had longed for, for so many years._

_After what seemed like millenniums of pain, Tempe finally held what made all that pain worth it. Wrapped up tightly in her arms was a tiny blue eyed baby girl. This baby was her daughter, oh how nice it sounded, Temperance's daughter. If only that it would stay that way. The doctors had just left the room, leaving Tempe alone with the baby. Even though she knew magic was not real, at that point in time she could feel it swirling around the two of them._

_"You are beautiful little baby do you know that?" Temperance said, as she looked down with tearful eyes at the sleeping baby in her arms. "You are the most beautiful thing that has ever entered this universe. No matter what anyone ever tells you, you can say 'My mommy thinks I am beautiful and she loves me, that is all that matters!' You should always remember that." A tear rolled off her cheek and onto the baby's, she gently wiped it away, knowing that it was probably the last tear she would ever be able to take away from the precious face. "And you know I do not want to give you away, I swear, but I want you to have everything, every single opportunity and I cannot give that to you. I want you to know that I love you Lili Christine, I always will love you."_

_"Lili Christine, what a beautiful name." A harsh toned voice said. _

_"What do you want?" Tempe asked._

_A shadowy figure appeared. "Time to say bye bye." _

_"No you are not taking my baby." She wrapped her arms tighter around the baby._

_"You gave her up, you cannot go back now." The figure forcefully yanked the baby from her arms. Lili let out a loud shrieking cry._

_"LEAVE MY BABY ALONE!"_

_"She is not you baby anymore! She is a young woman." _

_Temperance was suddenly looking at a fifteen year old, bloodied Lili. "MOM!" Lili screamed, her voice gurgling as she choked on her own blood. "MOM!"_

_"Do not hurt her!"_

_"Temperance you are the only one who has ever hurt her. If you never gave her up she would not be in this situation." _

_Lili's pleas for her mother continued each one more desperate than the last. "I did what was best for her." _

_"Well obviously death is the best thing for her." The figure held a knife up to Lili's throat._

_"NO LEAVE HER ALONE! DO NOT HURT MY BABY!"_

Temperance threw herself wildly in her sleep. "DO NOT TOUCH HER! PLEASE LEAVE HER ALONE!" She screamed.

Booth bolted over to the couch. "Hey Bones wake up." He shook her slightly. "Come wake up Bones." Booth lifted Brennan onto his lap. Brennan woke up, shaking in his arms. Sobs racked her body, she was a wreck. "Hey it was just a dream."

Her breaths were shaky and her eyes were stung red. "It's..it's...it is all my fault." She stuttered. Booth was having trouble comprehending what was going on in her head, well he always did, but this was a whole new playing field.

"What is your fault?"

"It is my fault Lili got kidnapped."

"No it is not Bones. Don't you ever think that. It will never be your fault."

"No Booth it is my fault. If I chose not to give her up she would never be in her current predicament. If I had kept her she would not be being tortured, wondering if she was going to live or die. I should have never given her up."

He began to understand how in her super logical brain this would make sense, and how she phrased it, it would make sense to anyone. But just because something makes sense does not always make it true. "Bones, I understand how you could think that, and how every part of your brain backs up that explanation, but you are not the one who kidnapped her, you are not the one torturing her. You are the one missing her, you are the one loving her." Seeley paused, trying to let her see the tears in his own eyes. "Many people do not see it, and I know you don't see it half the time, but you have one of the biggest hearts a person can have, people don't understand the way you think or the way you process and do things, and at times I still fail to understand it but unlike those people I know the love you have in your heart. Angela sees it, Hodgins sees it, Cam sees is, I see it, and your daughter Lili even though she hasn't seen you in fifteen years she can see it."

"Thank you, so much."

"No problem Bones, that is what I am here for."

"One more thing Booth."

"Yeah?"

"You are probably one of the best friends I ever have had, and I love you."

Whoa he never thought he would hear those words be spoken from her lips. He gave her body a tight squeeze. "I love you too, bestist buddy."

Thoughts speed through Brennan's head, like cars on a highway. Each one related to the one thing in her world that she would do anything for. Beloved plot lines, large ballet and dance numbers, songs sung so tenderly that the ear could not help but take pleasure in them. What could this all mean? Then it hit her.

"The theater, Booth have you talked to the people at the theater?" She asked.

"What theater?" He replied.

"The one where Lili did most of her work at?"

"No I haven't, but now that I think of it I should."

"I want to come with you."

"Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"I want to get to know her, I cannot learn who she is and how she became that from a case file."

"Okay Bones, that is good enough for me, let's go."

The O'Neill Theatre was incredibly lavish for a community theater. It was well designed and fancy. Brennan took in what her daughter saw, and for some reason she got this incredible feeling knowing that Lili might have once stood where she was currently standing. She was snapped out of her thoughts and back to reality when a tall, thin man walked up towards her and Booth.

"Dylan said that you would like to speak with me." The man said, he spoke rather eloquently.

"You are Kevin Parks, correct?" Booth questioned him.

"I am, may I ask who you are?"

"I am Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI and this is my partner…"

"Dr. Temperance Brennan, one of the girls I have worked with is a big fan of you books. But I am sure you are not here to discuss that."

"No we are not sir we are here to talk to you about Lili Kendall."

"Oh, um yeah she really does like your books. Have you found out anything new?" His mood quickly changed.

"I am not allowed to discuss an ongoing investigation, I am sorry. We would like to learn about Lili though."

"Well I can tell you that she is probably one of the most artistically gifted person I have ever had the pleasure to meet."

Brennan's heart fluttered hearing those words. "When did you first meet Lili?" She asked.

"I met her in the fall or 2002, she was seven years old. We were holding auditions for the musical _Annie_ at her school when she just showed up out of the blue basically. Lili blew the whole panel away with her huge voice. Ever since then I have directed every single one of the works she has done with this theater."

"Are you two close?"

"In ways, sexually no, I am gay and Lili is well Catholic. But professionally we work very close together and we have a very good emotional relationship. She needs some kind of person who will always be there in her life and I have become some sort of adult figure."

"Did you have any arguments?" Booth questioned.

"Yes, it is not unusual for us. You see she has a certain way of seeing things than I do and we often butt heads."

"What else did she do at the theater besides acting?"

"What doesn't she do is the question. She helps with younger actors, she deals with hotheaded divas, she choreographs dance numbers, and she teaches people their songs and lines. Lili is a truly tender soul, she convinced the board of directors to allow us to perform a show just for sick children in the hospital and their families. Because of her nearly thirty percent of our proceeds go to different causes."

"Why may I ask was she playing adult roles, like Mary Poppins?" Brennan butted in.

"It is simple, Lili has a way about her. She can be much more mature than the adult actors but still hold onto that sense of a child."

"Do you have any videos from Ms. Kendall's performances? Booth asked.

"Yes, every single musical I have taped. And I have last year's concert."

"Concert?"

"Oh yes she did a solo concert, it was tremendously successful."

"Can we have those tapes?"

"Sure, whatever will help you find Lili."

**TBC…**

**Please tell me what you think!**


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